Material dispensing container and cap therefor



Au 16, 1966 s. R. NEWMAN 3,266,680

MATERIAL DISPENSING CONTAINER AND CAP THEREFOR Filed Aug. 14, 1964 INVENTOR. Syae/[e 7?. A euwm 4;-f @ww ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,266,686 MATERIAL DISPENMNG CONTAINER AND CAP THEREFUR Sydelle R. Newman, 7423 260th St, Glen Oaks, NEE. Filed Aug. 14, 1964, Ser. No. 389,687 9 Claims. (Cl. 222l9) This invention relates to improvements in material dispensing containers and to caps therefor.

Presently, dispensing containers have been limited to the screw-on cap generally found in tooth paste tubes or in the types of containers exemplified by United States Letters Patent No. 2,073,292 or 2,179,423. However, if in each of these, the dispensed material is a liquid or a cream, some small amount of the material always remains and accumulates about the dispensing opening and adjacent surfaces. This accumulation grows harmful bacteria by contact with the surrounding air. Moreover, the dispensed liquid or cream oozes about the surfaces of the cover or cap creating an unsightly appearance. Although the prior art has at times recognized this problem, nothing has been done to fully overcome it until this invention.

Accordingly, the desideratum of the present invention is to provide a dispensing container and cap therefor, in varying forms of construction, specifically designed to dispense any desired material therefrom and to prevent the contamination of accumulations of such dispensed material by the surrounding air.

In this respect, an object of the invention is the provision of simple and inexpensive neck constructions for any type of material dispensing container and caps therefor that can be easily, quickly and efficiently operated to open or close a dispensing opening through which the material is dispensed.

In carrying out the objects of the invention, a feature thereof resides in the provision of a cap that so engages the neck of the container as to wipe the dispensed material therefrom, to cover the dispensing opening to prevent the oozing of unwanted material therefrom, and to form a secondary chamber each time the cap is closed in which accumulating dispensed material may be retained in an uncontaminated condition.

It is another object of this invention to provide the combination of a container and a novel closure cap therefor which form a secondary chamber for dispensed material so as to enclose the material in the same condition as though the same were still retained within the body of the container.

Other and further objects of this invention reside in the structures and arrangements hereinafter more fully described with reference to the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a container and cap therefor constructed according to the teaching of the invention with parts thereof shown in cross-section,

FIG. 1A is a partial cross-section of FIG. 1 taken along lines 1A-1A,

FIG. 2 is a front elevation of an embodiment of the invention,

FIG. 3 is a front elevation of another embodiment with parts thereof shown in cross-section,

FIG. 4 is a front elevation of a further embodiment with parts thereof shown in cross-section,

FIG. 5 is a front elevation of still another embodiment with parts thereof shown in cross-section and with the cap in its open position, and

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5 with the cap in its closed position.

Referring now to the drawing and, in particular, to the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 1A, the container is generally identified by the numeral 10. It comprises a 3,266,660 Patented August 16, 1966 body 12 in which a material is adapted to be held in the chamber thereof until such time as the same is required to be dispensed. It is unimportant whether the container body 12 be made of a collapsible or non-collapsible metal or plastic. The body 12 is connected at a narrowed skirt portion 14 with a neck that is generally identified by the numeral 116. The neck 16 may be made integral with the body 12 when the container 10 is molded or otherwise formed or it may be attached thereto at a later time. The manner in which the neck 16 is connected to the body 12 is immaterial. Although, in practice, the container 10 need not contain the neck 16 but may have it applied thereto by the user, it usually does incorporate the neck 16 as an integral and actual part thereof.

In the embodiments of FIGS. 1 and 1A, the neck 16 comprises a base 18 of thickened cross-section that extends away therefrom as a narrow circular neck-like extension 20. The neck extension 20 has a dispensing opening 22 defined therein. The opening 22 communicates by way of the hollow interior 24 with the interior of the body 12 so as to permit the dispensing of the material from the body 12 through the opening.

Positioned about the neck extension 20 is an annularly shaped cap 26. The cap 26 encompasses a lengthwise portion of the neck extension 20 and is materially shorter in length than the lengthwise extent or elongation of the neck 20 to permit the same to slidably move therealong from a position whereby the same may close the dispensing opening 22, as shown in solid lines in FIG. 1, to a position to uncover or open said opening as shown in broken lines in FIG. 1. The cap 26 is provided with a surface 28 that has a snug fitting engagement with the complementary outer or peripheral surface of the neck extension 20 thereby providing for proper sliding movement of the cap 26 along the length of the neck extension 20.

The surface 28 is of sufficient length to fully cover the opening 22 when the cap is in its closed position. Because the neck extension 20 is circular in cross-section, the cap 26 is also substantially cylindrical or annular in cross-section. It is provided with a leg 30 that is spaced radially outward from the neck 22 but encompasses a portion thereof to form with the encompassed walls of the neck a secondary material receiving chamber 32 that is completed and closed when the cap 26 is properly engaged in its closed position with the container.

In the present embodiment, the cap 26 and container 10 are provided with engaging means 34 and 36. The engaging means 34 provided on the leg 30 is in the form of an annular lip-like extension. The engaging means 36 provided on the container 16 is defined in the base 18 of the neck structure 16 in the form of a mating recess that is adapted to receive and snugly engage the lip-like extension 34 therewithin when the cap 26 is in its closed, solid line position as shown in FIG. 1. The cooperation of the engaging means 34 and 36 provides an airtight closure that defines the closing portion of the chamber 32 between the cap 26 and the neck 20.

In operation, the cap 26 is moved out of engagement with the container engaging means 36 by sliding the same along the length of the neck extension 20 to its open das-h line position. During this opening movement of the cap, its closure surface 28 uncovers the dispensing opening 22. The opening movement of the cap 26 is limited by abutment with an enlarged head or abutment means 38 provided at the extreme or remote end of the neck extension 20. When the cap 26 is moved so as to separate and disengage the engaging means 34 and 36, the secondary chamber 32 is opened. Material may now be dispensed from the opening 22.

The dispensing of material from the opening 22 is facilitated by the provision of an oval shaped recess 40 defined in the outer surface of the neck 20 about the opening 22. The oval recess 40 may be contoured to that of a tooth brush or a finger so as to permit the dispensing of the material onto the surface of the tooth brush or finger smoothly and attractively. This enables the brush surface or finger surface to wipe the opening 22 and the adjacent oval surface 49 free of dispensed material thereby preventing its accumulation thereat. After the desired amount of material is dispensed, the cap is then moved slidingly back along the neck extension toward the base 18. During this sliding movement, the snug engagement between the surface 28 and the adjacent surface of the neck 20 tends to wipe the neck of the surface 28 and push ahead of it any dispensed material that may have accumulated about the opening 22. This dispensed material is wiped into the confines of the secondary chamber 32 that will be formed between the cap 26 and the neck 20.

As the cap 26 closes, the surface 28 completely and snugly encompasses and covers the confines of not just the opening 22, but also the contoured recess to prevent additional material from being dispensed therethrough. Continued closing movement of the cap 26 results in the engagement of the lip engaging means 34 within the recess engaging means 36 to form an air-tight connection therebetween, thereby completing the closure of the secondary chamber 32. In consequence, whatever dispensed material is left within the confines of the secondary chamber 32 is retained in the same state and uncontaminated condition as if it remained within the body 12 of the container 18. This trapped material is separated from the atmospheric air and, therefore, limited from bacterial growth in the same manner as is the material remaining in the body 12.

Those skilled in the art will readily recognize that the secondary chamber 32 formed by the cooperation of the adjacent walls of the cap 26 and the neck 20 limits bacterial growth and contamination of dispensed material that has accumulated about the neck 20 by preventing its contact with the surrounding air. Thus, the secondary chamber 32 is formed in advance of the surface 28 that wipes the dispensed material from the neck 20 as the same slidingly moves therealong toward the closed position of the cap 26. The secondary chamber, being p0- sitioned and formed forward or ahead of the wiping and closure surface 28 of the cap 26, receives the wiped material therein and retains the same air-tightly in the same 'manner as the material is retained within the confines of the body 12.

In practice, it has been found that the addition of a further scraping or wiping construction may be added to the cap 26 at its back or opposite end. In this regard, the cap is formed with an undercut or groove 42 that fully surrounds the neck extension 20 and which terminates in a sharp wiping edge 44. During the closing movement of the cap 26, the wiper 44 will accumulate material ahead of it in the groove 42. During the opening movement of the cap, the wiper 44 will wipe the material sufliciently away from the dispensing opening 22 so as to permit the same to be cleaned with ease by the user.

Referring now to FIG. 2, the embodiment thereshown is substantially like that of FIG. 1 and, therefore, like parts are number in the series with the tens digits corresponding to the numerals employed in the description of FIG. 1. In this connection, the container is provided with a body 112 whose narrowed skirt portion 114 has a neck generally identified by the numeral 116 affixed to it. The base 118 is provided with a beadlike projection 136 that forms one part of the engaging means to retain the cap 126 in its closed position.

The cap 126 is provided with a mating engaging means in the form of a groove 134 that is adapted to receive the bead-like extension 136 therein when the cap is closed. The cap 126 is of hollow construction and fully covers the neck extension 120 so that any material dispensed from the opening 122 defined in the neck is fully contained within the cap 126 and within the secondary chamber 132. The cap is provided with an interior surface 128 that slidingly moves along the length of the neck extension 120 snugly engaging the same to wipe before it all dispensed material that may remain in the neck 120 after the same is dispensed from the opening 122.

An abutment head or head 138 is provided on the end of the neck extension 120 at a position most remote from the body 112. When the cap 126 is moved to its open position whereby the engaging means 134 is separated from its mating engaging means 136, the chamber 132 opens, the surface 128 gradually uncovers and exposes the opening 122, and upon continued opening movement of the cap 126, an abutment groove 146 gradually moves into mating engagement with the abutment 138. When the bead 138 sits within the groove 146, the cap 126 is limited from further opening sliding movement.

It will be recognized that when the cap 126 is slidingly moved along the length of the neck 120, the surface 128 wipes all dispensed material ahead of it that may accumulate on the neck 120 and scrapes the same in front of it into the secondary chamber to be formed between the surrounding leg of the cap 126 and the neck 116. As the engaging means 134 and 136 become engaged with each other, they complete the chamber 132 and its airtight enclosure of the accumulated dispensed material. As long as the chamber 132 is closed and the cap 126 is retained in its closed position by the seating of the bead 136 within the mating groove 134, such dispensed material is held free of contact and contamination with the outside air. The chamber 132 thus becomes a secondary chamber supplementing the function of the body 112 in which the main portion of the dispensed material is contained.

The embodiment 110 of FIG. 2 is especially useful when employed to dispense drugs or other medicinal materials. In this embodiment, the cap 126 always fully covers the neck extension 120 and, therefore, prevents the accumulation of dirt or other impurities thereabout. Furthermore, whatever dispensed material should accumulate about the neck 120 will be fully covered and protected from contamination and from contact with the surrounding air.

In the description of the embodiment of FIG. 3, the parts thereof corresponding to like details of structure in FIG. 1 are numbered in the 200 series, the tens digits of such numbers corresponding to the numerals in FIG. 1. In the present embodiment, the container 210 is provided with a narrowing skirt 214 that has a neck structure 216 connected therewith. In the present embodiment, the neck extension 220 distinguishes from that of FIG. 1 in the length thereof. The length of the neck 220 may be made materially shorter than the neck 20 of FIG. 1 by utilizing a cap 226 that is substantially U-shaped in crosssection.

The cap 226 has its inner leg 227 engaged along its inner surface 228 with the other surface of the neck 220. The outer leg 230 of the cap 226 encompasses a lengthwise portion of the neck but is spaced therefrom to define a secondary chamber 232 with such neck when the cap is closed as shown. The legs 227 and 230 may be said to be bent upon themselves so that the height of the cap 226 may be materially reduced without sacrificing the length of the surface 228 that covers and uncovers the dispensing opening 222. Because the legs 227 and 230 are substantially U-shaped, the length of the neck extension 220 also may be materially reduced with respect to that disclosed in FIG. 1. The neck extension 220 is provided with a beadlike abutment 238 that prevents the accidental displacement or removal of the cap 226 from the neck 220 when the same is moved to its open position.

The operation of the embodiment in FIG. 3 is substantially the same as that described with respect to FIG. 1. The wiper edge and groove 42 and 44 may be utilized in the cap 226 if desired although not shown therein. During the opening movement of the cap, the engaging means 234 and 236 are separated to thereby open the secondary chamber 232. Continued opening movement of the cap 226 causes the surface 228 to uncover the dispensing opening 222 until the cap is finally stopped in its movement by the abutment 238. After the desired amount of material is dispensed through the opening 222, the cap 226 may then be moved back to its closed position.

During this movement, the surface 228 scrapes along the neck 220 wiping in front of it all dispensed material that may remain on the neck and moving such material into the space between the legs 227 and 230. When finally the leg 230 moves over the base 218 of the neck and its engaging means 234 moves into mating engagement with the engaging means 236 on the container, the secondary chamber 232 becomes fully and air-tightly closed separating it and the material therein from the outside contaminating air. Thus, the secondary air chamber 232 traps the remaining dispensed material therein and holds the same fresh and uncontaminated in the same manner as if the material were still contained Within the body 212.

The embodiment of FIG. 4 is substantially the same as FIG. 1, differing therefrom solely in the nature of the engaging means that retains the cap in its closed position. For this reason, like elements are numbered in the 300 series with the tens digits corresponding to the numerals used in the description of FIG. 1.

It is to be noted that the surface 328 of the cap 326 covers and completely closes the dispensing opening 322 when the cap is in its closed position. The cap is retained in its closed position by the provision of engaging means in the form of an interior thread 334 provided on its interior surface that is adapted to mate With the threaded surface engaging means 336 provided on the container 316. The secondary chamber 332 into which dispensed material is wiped by the action of the surface 326 is formed between the leg 330 of the cap and the adjacent surfaces of the neck 316. The chamber 332 is completed and closed by the engagement of the engaging means 334 and 336 to retain material therein air-tightly and free from contamination by the surrounding air.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 5 and 6, the neck extension 420 is hollow and is provided with a dispensing opening 422 defined in the side or in the outer periphery thereof. The base 418 of the neck generally identified by the numeral 416 is provided with engaging means 436 in the form of a continuous bead.

The cap, generally identified by the numeral 426, is provided with a central body 427 that has an engaging surface 428 adapted for sliding movement and engagement with the interior surface defining the hollow of the neck extension 420. The cap 426 is further provided with a leg 430 that is adapted to encompass a lengthwise portion of the neck 420 and to move relative thereto. Further, the leg 430 cooperates with the adjacent surface of the neck 420 to define a secondary material receiving chamber 432 that is formed therebetween when the cap 426 is moved to its closed position as shown in FIG. 6. The leg 430 of the cap has a groove or recess engaging means 434 defined therein that is adapted to engage with the engaging means 436 to complete the chamber 432 and air-tightly close the same.

An abutment shoulder 438 is provided on the end of the neck 420 for engagement by the enlarged head 440 of the body 427 of the cap 426. When the cap 426 is moved to its open position as shown in FIG. 5, the head 440 engages with the shoulder 438 and thereby limit-s the opening movement of the cap. When the cap is open, material may be dispensed from the body 412 of the container 410 through the opening 422. After the proper amount of material has been dispensed, the cap may then be closed.

In closing the cap 426, the same is moved toward the base 418. During this closing sliding movement, the surface 428 rides along the mating surface of the neck 420 wiping and pushing before it all material that may remain within the hollow neck. To facilitate the cleaning of the 6 interior of the neck 420, the body 427 of the cap 426 is hollowed at its forward end and made concave as shown at 441. During the closing movement of the cap, the material in the neck is pushed and wiped away from the interior wall while the concavity 441 receiving some of the material causes it to fall into the body 412 therebeneath.

As the cap 426 closes, the surface 428 gradually covers the dispensing opening 422 to completely close the same and prevent additional material from being dispensed therethrough. Continued closing movement of the cap results in the formation of the secondary material receiving chamber 432 defined between the leg 430 and the adjacent surfaces of the neck 416. The secondary chamber 432 is completed and closed by the air-tight engagement of the'bead 436 in the recess or groove 434. All material trapped or remaining within the secondary chamber 432 Will be retained as fresh and uncontaminated as that material still contained within the body 412 of the container 410.

While there have been shown and described and pointed out the fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to several preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of the device illustrated and in their operations may be made by those skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is the intention, therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the claims appended hereto.

I claim:

1. A cap for a material dispensing container having a permanently fixed elongated neck and a material dispensing opening defined therein, said cap being movable along said neck to a position to close said opening, said cap having a leg encompassing a lengthwise portion of said neck and said opening and disposed outward therefrom to define a material containing chamber therebetween, means on said cap cooperable with the surface of said neck to engage the same in valve seating engagement to close said opening defined therein, and means on said cap and container releasably engageable to retain said cap in its closed position and to air-tightly close said chamber.

'2. The combination of a material dispensing container and a cap therefor, said container comprising a body having an elongated neck, said neck having an opening defined therein communicating with the interior of said body to dispense material therefrom, said cap having a surface engaging said neck and movable therealong from a position to expose said opening for the dispensing of material therefrom to a position to cover said opening in valve seating engagement and close the same, a leg on said cap encompassing a portion of said neck and spaced from said surface and from the encompassed portion of said neck to form an air-tight chamber between said leg and said encompassed portion of said neck for dispensed material trapped therebetween, and releasable engaging means on said cap and container to air-tightly close said chamber.

3. The combination of a material dispensing container and a cap therefor, said container having a body in which material is contained to be dispensed, a neck on said body, an opening in said neck through which material in said body is dispensed, said cap having a surface engaging said neck and movable to cover said opening in valve seating engagement and to uncover said opening, said cap and neck having surfaces spaced from each other to define a material containing chamber therebetween, and means on said cap and said neck releasably engageable to form an air-tight closure of said chamber.

4. The combination of a material dispensing container and a cap therefor as in claim 3, and means on said cap surface engaging said neck to remove dispensed material therefrom and to move the same into said material containing chamber.

5. The combination of a material dispensing container and a cap therefor, said container having a material containing body, an elongated neck extending outward from said body and having an opening defined therein communieating with said body to dispense material therefrom, a cap having a surface engagable with and slidable along and engaging the outer surface of said neck between positions to open and to close said opening and to clean dispensed material from said neck, said neck being longer than said cap, abutment means on said neck engageable by said cap to limit the movement of said cap when the same is moved to open said opening, a leg on said cap spaced outward from said neck and cooperating therewith to define a chamber therebetween when said cap is closed, said chamber receiving the material cleaned from said neck by said cap surface, and means on said cap and container engageable to retain said cap closed and to form an air-tight closure for said chamber.

6. The combination as in claim 5, a recess defined in the outer surface of said neck about said opening and covered by said surface when said cap is closed.

7. The combination as in claim 5, said neck being circular shaped, said cap being annular shaped and said engageable means being an annular lip on said cap leg and an annular recess in said neck to snugly receive and retain said cap lip therein.

8. The combination as in claim 5, said engageable means including a threaded surface on said container and a mating threaded surface on said cap.

9. The combination of a material dispensing container having a cap therefor, said container having a body in which said material is contained, an elongated neck on said body and having an opening defined therein through which material in said body may be dispensed, said cap covering said neck and movable therealong between positions to close said opening in valve seating engagement and to open said opening, engageable means on said cap and container to retain said cap in its closed position, means on said cap engaging said neck to cover said opening when said cap is in its closed position, and a leg on said cap spaced from said neck and cooperable therewith to define a chamber that is closed by said engageable means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,227,430 5/1917 Gries 222551 X 1,720,392 7/1929 Frampton 22255l 1,794,023 2/ 1931 Lieberthal 222522 X 1,903,464 4/ 1933 Konanz 222-551 2,085,629 6/1937 Brige 222 -551 2,618,415 11/ 1952 Ellefson 222-499 2,721,004 10/1955 Schultz 222--519 X 2,877,918 3/1959 Gardner 222-522 X 3,032,240 5/1962 Dunklee 222-525 FOREIGN PATENTS 345,465 8/1919 Germany.

M. HENSON WOOD, JR., Primary Examiner.

STANLEY H. TOLLBERG, LOUIS J. DEMBO,

Examiners. 

1. A CAP FOR A MATERIAL DISPENSING CONTAINER HAVING A PERMANENTLY FIXED ELONGATED NECK AND A MATERIAL DISPENSING OPENING DEFINED THEREIN, SAID CAP BEING MOVABLE ALONG SAID NECK TO A POSITION TO CLOSE SAID OPENING, SAID CAP HAVING A LEG ENCOMPASSING A LENGTHWISE PORTION OF SAID NECK AND SAID OPENING AND DISPOSED OUTWARD THEREFROM TO DEFINE A MATERIAL CONTAINING CHAMBER THEREBETWEEN, MEANS ON SAID CAP COOPERABLE WITH THE SURFACE OF SAID NECK TO ENGAGE THE SAME IN VALVE SEATING ENGAGEMENT TO CLOSE SAID OPENING DEFINED THEREIN, AND MEANS ON SAID CAP AND CONTAINER RELEASABLY ENGAGEABLE TO RETAIN SAID CAP IN ITS CLOSED POSITION AND TO AIR-TIGHTLY CLOSE SAID CHAMBER. 